Political Quotes

“today, with my colleague Senator Cantwell, I wish to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the construction and operation of the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, more commonly known in Washington State as the Ballard Locks. The Ballard Locks are not just symbolic of our region's rich maritime history, but a century later, they remain vital to the economy, public safety, environment, and more in Puget Sound. As early as the 1850s, settlers in Puget Sound recognized the benefits of connecting the region's freshwater lakes to the saltwater of Puget Sound. Shortly thereafter, the U.S. Navy expressed interest. Ultimately, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Army Corps, initiated planning for the locks in the late 1890s and work began in earnest under Hiram M. Chittenden, the Seattle district engineer for the Army Corps from April 1906 to September 1908. Construction began in 1911 after the locks received approval from Congress, and the Ballard Locks were formally opened for vessel traffic on July 4, 1917. The Ballard Locks enable commercial and recreational vessels to travel to the docks, shipyards, warehouses, maintenance and repair facilities, and marinas in the region's freshwater lakes while also reducing maintenance costs and prolonging vessel life in the freshwater environment. The importance of the locks is underscored by their annual usage.…”